


Kitaristinvaihtoviikot

by ChristianHowe



Category: Finnish Music RPF, Sonata Arctica
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-23
Updated: 2017-08-02
Packaged: 2018-10-23 01:53:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10709691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChristianHowe/pseuds/ChristianHowe
Summary: "So," Elias said. He didn't look at Jani but continued to peel the label off his beer bottle.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Darial_Kuznetsova](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darial_Kuznetsova/gifts).



> This is a late response to the ficmas prompt "There is something between them, it is not jealousy, but it is something they are not sure they can put a name or a label to."
> 
> Written for Darial Kuznetsova: Hyvää syntymäpäivää! (And if you'd like to suggest another title... :-P)
> 
> Many, many thanks to Helena Snow-Renn ♥ for beta. All remaining mistakes are mine.
> 
> Disclaimer: Not mine, not true.

"So," Elias said. He didn't look at Jani but continued to peel the label off his beer bottle.

 _Great,_ Jani thought, _as in, not. Now we're both sitting here hoping the other will open his mouth first._

Which Elias had, in a manner of speaking, done. Jani cleared his throat. "So," he echoed.

He was pleased to see a reaction at least: a brief smile – or was it? – flashed over the other guitarist's face, but Elias still wouldn't meet his eyes. After another long moment of silence, however, he finally got a response – kind of.

"Tony suggested that we, um, may want to talk," Elias volunteered.

"Did he mention anything in particular?" Jani had already spent several days and nights with Elias discussing potential set lists and practicing together. In Jani's understanding, Elias was all set for the upcoming tour and his performance at the summer festivals had already proved that he was more than up to do the job.

"Not really, no..."

Interesting. Both the statement as well as the faint blush on Elias face that accompanied it suggested that he had at least an inkling as to what Tony was after, if not more. Unlike Elias, however, Jani could guess exactly what this was about. Only, how was he to broach _that_ topic without making the situation even more uncomfortable than it already was?

There was something between them. It wasn't jealousy, but it was something they weren't sure they could put a name or a label to. As long as he and Elias stuck to music they were fine, but as soon as they veered off that course, they both felt a little uneasy.

At first, Jani had thought that it could be jealousy, after all. However, if he was being honest, he had to admit that he more than needed the break from the band – even now that he'd got himself declared unfit for either military or civil service due to burnout.

The doctor he'd spoken to had a point: Jani couldn't imagine a life without music, but already the thought of going on tour again made him feel like a balloon someone had let the air out of, limp and deflated. So he wasn't lying when he told himself that he welcomed Elias playing not only the summer festivals but also the gigs in Japan that lay ahead – and maybe even the South America and US tour that would begin in September.

No, if anything he was relieved, not jealous, immensely grateful that they'd found such a capable – temporary – successor for him. The band had made the choice together and Tony had made it clear right from the beginning that whoever they'd pick would only get the job if Jani approved. 

Which he did, one hundred percent. Elias was a rad player. Mastering Sonata Arctica's songs and Jani's solos were a challenge – Jani had preened when Elias had told him so – but with his talent and hard work Elias had got their current set list down in time for the shows. Jani was proud of him, feeling solidarity with his fellow guitarist. 

At the same time, his and Elias' styles were different enough to think of Elias not as a replacement but a colleague ready and willing to shoulder his duty while he licked his wounds and got back on his feet again. Elias saw it the same way and he used his imagination to vary Jani's solos, which convinced Jani even more that he was perfect – again, temporarily – for Sonata.

So what else was there to talk about unless...?

"Um, it might be related to the upcoming tour," Elias offered another tidbit and Jani nodded while he suppressed a groan.

So yes, his intuition had been right from the beginning as to what this was about. Jani couldn't say that he was surprised, though. Tony on tour had... certain... _needs._ And, of course, Tony would leave it to Jani to explain them to Elias. Great, just great. As if his and Elias' relationship wasn't awkward enough already!

"Yeah, well," he began, feeling his face turn red, too, as he wondered how to familiarise Elias with tour rules that had absolutely nothing to do with music and that Jani had no clue how his colleague would react to.

"Let me begin with a question," Jani made up his mind. "How well do you know Tony?"

"Um, what do you mean?" Elias looked confused.

"I mean his bedroom habits," Jani said bluntly.

"Er, yes, of course, we're probably going to share rooms eventually," Elias conceded, then continued and asked, "You mean, like, do I know if he snores?"

Jani resisted the urge to get up and smash his face into the wall. "He does that," he replied dryly. "Sometimes at least. Especially if he's had a few beers. That and, well. Sometimes, he's into something more than beer."

"Oh," Elias exclaimed. "Do you mean that he gets really drunk? Or that he smokes when he's drunk? Yes, I know. Or no, the others have told me, I haven't actually seen it. But so do I, smoke. Is that...?" 

He frowned. Jani could see the cogs turning in his head. That Tony, not only a singer but one who suffered from asthma, smoked on occasion clearly wasn't what anyone would expect. Elias was, however, sharp enough to be puzzled why Tony would ask Jani to apprise him on that particular habit – all the more since Elias had already found out by himself.

Suddenly, Jani felt the urge to have a smoke himself. He pulled his cigarettes and a lighter from the back pocket of his jeans. "Is it okay if I...? In here, I mean?"

"Let's go out on the balcony," Elias said and led the way.

They sat on the balcony and lit up, smoking in silence for a few minutes while Jani wondered anew how he should explain what kind of tour duty was expected of Sonata Arctica's new, temporary guitarist. Maybe he should simply start at the beginning and tell Elias about that night after the show in...

Jani wasn't even sure he could remember where it had happened; after years of touring, gigs and venues had become blurred in his mind. What made that particular night special was, for one, that they hadn't spent it on the tour bus but in a hotel. And then it had become even more, well, special...


	2. Chapter 2

_European Tour 2000_

_Jani was more than a little drunk when he fell onto the bed with a relieved groan. He liked tour life, but sleeping in a real bed in a hotel instead of a bunk in the tour bus was a welcome luxury._

_He wasn't complaining: They'd been playing their arses off every night, followed by a lot of partying, which usually included as much booze as they could stomach – and sometimes a lot more than that. In other words, they were having the time of their lives._

_On the flip side, even though they were young and enthusiastic and drunk not only on the alcohol but also flying high on their success, even Finnish metal heroes needed to rest now and then. Therefore, sinking down on the mattress and pulling the soft blanket over his tired body was a heavenly sensation._

_Then, there was the other downside of touring, namely sex – or, rather, lack thereof. Not that there weren't enough willing girls, quite the opposite was the case. Again, young and enthusiastic as he was, Jani loved sex, but he also loved his girlfriend back home, which meant that he had resigned himself to being stuck with his right hand. That alone wasn't a problem, but the lack of privacy on the tour bus was._

_Therefore, he'd been looking forward to the night in the hotel for days already, all the more tonight when his roommate, Tony, had announced that he'd have another beer and Jani shouldn't wait up for him – Tony, too, had a girlfriend he loved and he could sympathise. When he left the bar looking forward to a few precious moments of privacy, Jani vowed to himself to return the favour in the morning by opting for an early breakfast._

_However, when he entered the room, he found that, ironically, he was too tired to take care of what had felt like an urgent matter for the past days. Once in bed, he rooted around for less than a minute before deciding that any position he could possibly find was comfortable. With a relieved sigh, Jani closed his eyes. A second later, he was out._

_He didn't know how long he'd slept when he woke to the utterly pleasant sensation of a warm body spooning him from behind. What was even more pleasant was that said body had wrapped an arm around his waist and was playing with what was quickly growing into a raging erection._

_A part of him was conscious enough to remember that he'd been on his own when he'd gone to bed, so this had to be a dream. About to wonder if one could be aware of dreaming while actually doing it, the thought was firmly pushed to the back of his mind when the hand on his dick did some trick with his foreskin, which made sparks fly up his spine._

_Oh man, this was good! Jani moaned happily. Apparently encouraged, the hand continued alternating between stroking him firmly and sliding his foreskin up and down, exposing and caressing zillions of screaming nerve endings on the highly-sensitive tip. If sleeping in a bed had felt heavenly to him no more than at most a few hours ago, Jani had no words for what he was feeling now!_

_A mouth placed soft kisses on his neck and shoulder, licked and sucked, then bit. Even though it hurt a little, it was just the perfect amount of pain to fuel his desire. As he felt a first trickle of pre-cum move inside him till it leaked from his slit, Jani moaned louder._

_Then, a second hand – of course, they came in pairs – wiggled in between his thighs and massaged the area behind his balls, sending more flashes of arousal through him. When the hand moved back, he whined a little, not wanting it to stop, but when he felt his cheeks being spread, Jani tensed._

_"Shh, I'm not gonna hurt you," a voice whispered into his ear. "If you tell me to stop, I'll stop. Give it a try, though. Let me make you feel good..." The hand around his dick slowed down and moved more gently, making him relax a little._

_"Good," the voice praised him. "Now remember, you can stop this at any time..."_

_When he felt a finger on his scared little entrance, Jani tensed again, but he decided to trust the voice. It wasn't that he didn't like being touched there, it was the intimacy that made him nervous: although he sometimes rubbed his hole with a finger when he was doing himself, even with Teija he hadn't gone this far yet – and they'd been together for almost three years now._

_The finger caressed him gently and Jani forced himself to relax more. He could stop this at any time, he reminded himself, although he already knew that he didn't want it to stop; it felt so good!_

_When the finger prodded against the rim, then pressed a little until the tip slid into him, Jani was about to protest, but suddenly every thought came to a screeching halt; whatever the finger was doing inside him sent waves of pleasure through him that were stronger than anything he'd ever experienced before – and he considered himself very skillful indeed with his own hands. This, however, had him at the brink of orgasm within seconds, before he could even wrap his mind around what was happening to him._

_"Don't cum yet," the whisper was back, and Jani nodded._

_He wanted to cum. Hell, he_ needed _to cum, but this felt so good that he didn't want it to end either. He couldn't see how he could_ not _cum, however, given the incredible heat in his balls, and so, when the hand on his dick clamped down hard and stopped the imminent explosion, he let out a sound that was almost a sob, full of relief and need at the same time._

_"Oh god, Jani," the whisper was no longer a whisper but a distinctive voice that Jani recognised as Tony's, "you're so beautiful, so hot! Please," he begged, "please, can I fuck your sweet little hole?"_

_He must be out of his mind, but there was only one possible answer to the request. "Yes," Jani's voice came out hoarse with desire, "Yes, I want you to do that, want you in me."_

_The finger withdrew and a second later, when he was just about to lament the loss, something bigger pressed against his entrance. Jani's eyes widened in shock when there was a sharp pain and his erection flagged, but Tony's voice soothed him, promised that the pain wouldn't last._

_It took some willpower to make his body relax again, but if there was one person Jani trusted it was Tony, and his friend hadn't lied; as soon as Jani relaxed, he found that the stretching and fullness turned into sources of renewed arousal. Tony took up stroking him again and when he began to move inside Jani and hit_ that spot _Jani's body stiffened not from pain or discomfort but from the sudden bliss overload as all of his pleasure synapses seemed to fire at the same time._

_Behind him, Tony grunted in synch with Jani's moans, and within less than a minute, Jani felt his climax approaching like a freight train. However, Tony pressed down on his dick again, making him whimper with the urge to let go._

_Jani whined and begged for release, but Tony's hand was adamant. "Just a little longer. Trust me, you won't regret it..."_

_He'd never been on the edge for so long! There was fire in his spine and belly, his whole body was tingling. Just when he thought he couldn't hold out any longer, Tony's thrusts became more urgent._

_"Jani, Jani, so good! So close! Gonna... Nnhhh... Cum, with me... Hhhh..."_

_Suddenly, the death grip on his dick was gone. Tony pushed so deeply inside him that Jani's eyes bulged as the sparks from that spot short-circuited his nervous system. The hand around his erection found the perfect rhythm and the heat that had coiled up in his body was released together with endless gushes of white-hot lava that were spewed from his balls._

_Jani heard a choked cry that must have been his own, then the lights went out._

* * *

Jani's hand was shaking when he stubbed out his cigarette. When he'd woken up the following morning he'd thought that it had only been a very intense dream. The crusted semen on his chest had told him that at least part of it hadn't been a dream, which had made him blush and hope that it had happened before Tony had arrived. However, when he'd sat up in bed and found not only that his arse was unbelievably sore but also that Tony was looking at him with a worried expression on his face, he'd known that everything had been real.

He'd also known that he'd want to do it again.

The rest was, as they said, history.

And it was indeed history now because Jani wasn't touring with Sonata Arctica any longer. However, as incredible as it had been, he didn't miss the sex with Tony. It had always been a tour-only thing, and once he knew the pleasure he could gain from having his prostate played with, Jani hadn't kept it a secret from at first Teija, then later from other girlfriends.

No, he had absolutely no reason to complain about anything that could possibly be missing in his love life. Except, maybe, that he was now sitting on Elias' balcony in the other guitarist's temporary flat in Kemi, sporting a raging erection that was brought on by his memories.

And he still had no clue as to how to explain to Elias what to expect with Tony in a hotel room. Unless, of course...

"You know," Jani said as he rose from his chair, "why don't I just show you..."


	3. Chapter 3

When they returned inside, Jani had come to the conclusion that there was no delicate way to address this.

"Where's your bedroom?" he asked, taking the bull by the horns.

Instead of answering, Elias just looked at him, confusion written all over his face.

Jani sighed. Patience had never been one of his virtues. "You do have a bedroom," he prompted a little sharply.

"Um, yes, but why..." Seeing the redhead's grim expression made Elias look away. "Here," he said and pointed to a door, still uncomprehending.

"Good," Jani said. He'd been tempted to say 'Good boy,' but the situation was awkward enough already without him resorting to quips. Opening the designated door and stepping into Elias' bedroom, he found the place rather unremarkable. It was time to make it remarkable then with his next question.

"You've done anal, of course."

Elias' face froze. "That'd be between me and my wife," he replied icily.

"Fair enough," Jani conceded, but didn't give up yet. "Ever been with a guy?"

If Elias had looked frigid a second before, he now looked apoplectic. "Of course not! I'm not gay!" He frowned. "Wait a minute. You're asking me this because..."

When he stopped speaking, Jani could almost see what Elias was thinking. His assumption was confirmed a second later.

"I'm not gay and neither is Tony," Elias said. "He's married, too, remember?" The calmness in his voice was deceptive as Jani could see how much it cost him to keep his composure. Apparently, Jani wasn't the only guitarist with a temper.

"And I'm engaged," Jani replied. "Which, funny enough, is one of the reasons Tony and I got into, well, things." Elias looked so spooked now that he decided to ease up a little and fall back to a more careful choice of words. He couldn't risk getting into a fight: if Elias injured his hand attempting to deck him, the whole replacement guitarist deal was off the table.

"Listen," he said, "being faithful is easy when you play weekend gigs or festivals. I'm not saying that anyone should betray their significant other, but sex is a good way to deal with tour stress."

Elias looked doubtful, so Jani continued. "I'm not talking about temptation in the form of groupies. That's easy to resist. No, what I mean is what comes later, after the show. You're still all wound up when you get back on the tour bus. Having a few drinks helps some," or, he winced, in his case it had been way more than a few, and in the end, it hadn't helped at all, "but when you're stuck on the damn bus for weeks, always either hyped up from playing or bored to death, you're gonna want relief eventually."

"I guess there's nothing wrong with that," Elias acknowledged and Jani nodded.

"The thing is, you're never alone. There's always a dozen guys around. Mind you, they all have the same problem. Most of us have someone back home that we don't want to hurt. So, what with the company, if you weren't before, you learn to be quiet when you're, you know? That works for a while. But after a few weeks, well, things change, at least for some. It's hard to describe. It isn't that you want more than just your own hand, because you do, but it's also, how do I say it, that you get lonely in spite of all the people surrounding you."

Elias' face was now unreadable. "And that's why you're suggesting that I should let Tony fuck me."

Jani thought that his own expression now most likely betrayed as much shock as Elias must have felt when he first grasped what Jani was trying to tell him.

"He'd never do that," Jani said. "Not unless you'd explicitly agreed to it. And even if the two of you ever made it that far, it would probably be the other way round."

He let it sink in for a while, watching a little nervously how Elias digested the information he obviously didn't want.

"You mean he likes to... to..."

Elias was clearly struggling for words and Jani decided to step in before he'd come up with 'being the woman' or something equally stupid. "He prefers to bottom," he supplied.

"And you... you..."

"Trust me, it may not be everyone's preference but being on the receiving end can actually be quite enjoyable," Jani assured him. "And in case you're wondering, no it doesn't make me any less of a man, and neither does it make Tony a woman. Girl. Whatever."

Again, he could see the cogs in Elias' mind spinning. Jani's erection had flagged meanwhile. Maybe his plan to simply drag the guy to the bedroom and show him what this was about hadn't been the best idea, and he was now glad that they were talking instead of having sex. After all, he'd known Tony for years before their first night together, and back then, even he'd been, well maybe not shocked, but to call it surprised would be putting it mildly. And Jani had already been highly aroused and needy when it had happened – okay, that had definitely been Tony's making, but still.

He had to hand it to Elias that he was doing his best to not freak out and, so far, succeeding. Good. Maybe he should leave it at that.

"Look," Jani began, "sorry to have sprung this on you like that but, hey, we can always blame it on Tony for suggesting you talk to me," he tried to lighten the mood. "I should probably leave now. Give you time to think, if that's okay with you. You've got my number."

Elias finally met his eyes again. "That's probably a good idea," he said. "You leaving and me thinking. Not sure if I really want to," he added, "but thanks for... letting me know."

"Just one more thing," Jani said. "I wouldn't know about Tony's wife as we've never talked about this, but my girlfriend told me that she was okay with it. Well, of course she'd have preferred it if nothing of that sort had happened, but she said it's better than if I had sex with a woman. At least that's what she said. And, uh, also, at some point she mentioned that the mental image turned her on, but that's probably more than you want to know." Now it was Jani's turn to blush.

"Yeah, well, no, maybe not," Elias sounded as uncomfortable as Jani felt, "but thanks for telling me anyway."

"Well, I guess this is it, then," Jani said and made to leave the bedroom. Coming in here had been a stupid idea in the first place, and he was suddenly very eager to leave.

"Yeah," Elias repeated. He followed Jani to the front door. "I'll, uh, call you, if..." He coughed. "Take care, okay?"

"Yeah, you too."

Elias closed the door behind him. As soon as Jani had left the building, he lit up a cigarette and inhaled deeply. This had been one of the most awkward situations he'd been in in his entire life – and there'd been quite a few.

In the time until the upcoming tour he'd make sure that his phone was switched on, just in case. Not that he expected Elias to call him again. He was confident that the other guitarist wouldn't cancel the tour out of fear that Tony might come on to him, but Jani didn't think that Elias would ever want to talk to him again.

If he was honest to himself, neither did he, want to talk to Elias again, at least not for a long time, and never again about this kind of topic. But Tony was his friend and although he'd appreciated a heads-up from that side, he knew he'd done the right thing by explaining things to Elias.

Wondering if he should call Tony, Jani decided against it: Tony and Elias weren't his problem. The sooner he got this afternoon out of his head, the better. His original plan for the night had been to spend it with Risto and his NES, and that was what he was going to do. Pick up a couple of beers on the way, maybe a bottle of Jalo...

Smiling to himself, Jani unlocked his car, nodding in approval when Strapping Young Lad began to blare from the speakers as he decided to head for the Alko on Asemakatu. Hm, he might as well get some chili at the K-market there: A night with Risto usually included heavy drinking and having some food with it wouldn't hurt.

By the time he left the parking space by Elias' temporary home in Keminmaa, he'd already almost forgotten what had brought him here.


End file.
